What Is a Phobia? A phobia is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little to no danger. A phobia can also be described as an anxiety disorder. However, there are three different types of phobias: Specific Phobias: Also known as 'simple phobias', these are the most common type of phobias, with one out of every ten Americans having a phobia. It is the fear of a particular situation or object, like 'claustrophobia', the fear of small, enclosed spaces, or 'clourophobia', the fear of clowns.Social Phobias: Social Phobia is the fear of being judged or watched by others, and being embarrassed in public. These fears range from the fear of speaking in public, to using the restroom or even signing their name in public.Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped, and having a panic attack. It affects about 3 percent of the population, and usually begins between the ages 15 to 35. Usually, people with this disorder will avoid public places in order to avoid the possibility of having a panic attack. While there is debate on how a phobia forms, it is believed that it can be the cause of a past event that the mind records the feelings as fear, a little like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For example, a child that is once bitten by a dog may form a phobia of dogs when he grows up. The symptoms of having a phobia are as follows:
Panic or Fear
Rapid Heartbeat
Shortness of Breath
Trembling
A strong desire to get away
Usually, however, a person with a phobia will try to avoid the situations or objects that cause the phobia. This only hides the problem, instead of healing it. Treatment of Phobias The treatment of Phobias is as varied as the Phobias themselves: Flooding: This is immersing the Phobic in the fear-inducing scenarios until the fear goes away. For example, if a person is afraid of snakes, have the person confront non-dangerous snakes until the fear reflex for snakes is removed. However, some fears are so strong that patients cannot handle flooding, so other forms of treatment must be practiced.Counter-Conditioning: This is when the Phobic is trained to replace the fear response to the object/situation with a relaxation response. The therapists start with the least fear-inducing stimuli, and move up when the patient is truly relaxed.Modeling: This is having the Phobic view others that show relaxation where he/she feels fear, and is encouraged to mimic them. While this is claimed to work, it is still debated upon.Public Perception of PhobiasWhile phobias are known in general day-to-day lives, they are either seen as understood and accepted (claustraphobia), or silly and irrational (mesophobia ).Types of Specific Phobias Androphobia - the fear of menBolshephobia - the fear of BulsheviksCyclophobia - the fear of bicyclesDemonophobia - the fear of demonsEosophobia - the fear of dawn or daylightFrancophobia - the fear of FranceGynophobia - the fear of womenHylophobia - the fear of forestsIophobia - the fear of poisonNeophobia - the fear of new thingsOstraconophobia - the fear of shellfishPediophobia - the fear of dollsRadiophobia - the fear of radiationSuriphobia - the fear of miceTeratophobia - the fear of monstersVerbophobia - the fear of wordsXanthophobia - the fear of yellow (color or word)Zemmiphobia - the fear of the great mole rat This mental disorder can be linked to:AilurophobiaPhasmophobiaPTSD Sources: Information: Metcalf, Tom and Gena. Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders, Phobias. Gale Cengage Learning. Greenhaven Press: Farmington Hills, Michigan. 2009. 15 September 2011. Print."Phobias". MedlinePlus. 15 September 2011. Web. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/phobias.html."Treatment of Phobias". 15 September 2011. Web. http://phobialist.com/treat.html.
"Types of Phobia". Phobia Fear Release. 19 September 2011. Web. http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/types-of-phobia.html. "When and How does a Phobia start?" Phobia Fear Release. 15 September 2011. Web. http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/how-does-a-phobia-start.html. Pictures: "Luposlipaphobia". The Far Side Comics. 15 September 2011. Web. <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KG-vEMi4dQs/TIOu_SMYeDI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Pv0w_RnOO3Y/s1600/luposlipaphobia.jpg>.
What Is a Phobia?
A phobia is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little to no danger. A phobia can also be described as an anxiety disorder. However, there are three different types of phobias:
Specific Phobias: Also known as 'simple phobias', these are the most common type of phobias, with one out of every ten Americans having a phobia. It is the fear of a particular situation or object, like 'claustrophobia', the fear of small, enclosed spaces, or 'clourophobia', the fear of clowns.Social Phobias: Social Phobia is the fear of being judged or watched by others, and being embarrassed in public. These fears range from the fear of speaking in public, to using the restroom or even signing their name in public.Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped, and having a panic attack. It affects about 3 percent of the population, and usually begins between the ages 15 to 35. Usually, people with this disorder will avoid public places in order to avoid the possibility of having a panic attack.
While there is debate on how a phobia forms, it is believed that it can be the cause of a past event that the mind records the feelings as fear, a little like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For example, a child that is once bitten by a dog may form a phobia of dogs when he grows up.
The symptoms of having a phobia are as follows:
- Panic or Fear
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Shortness of Breath
- Trembling
- A strong desire to get away
Usually, however, a person with a phobia will try to avoid the situations or objects that cause the phobia. This only hides the problem, instead of healing it.Treatment of Phobias
The treatment of Phobias is as varied as the Phobias themselves:
Flooding: This is immersing the Phobic in the fear-inducing scenarios until the fear goes away. For example, if a person is afraid of snakes, have the person confront non-dangerous snakes until the fear reflex for snakes is removed. However, some fears are so strong that patients cannot handle flooding, so other forms of treatment must be practiced.Counter-Conditioning: This is when the Phobic is trained to replace the fear response to the object/situation with a relaxation response. The therapists start with the least fear-inducing stimuli, and move up when the patient is truly relaxed.Modeling: This is having the Phobic view others that show relaxation where he/she feels fear, and is encouraged to mimic them. While this is claimed to work, it is still debated upon.Public Perception of PhobiasWhile phobias are known in general day-to-day lives, they are either seen as understood and accepted (claustraphobia), or silly and irrational (mesophobia ).Types of Specific Phobias
Androphobia - the fear of menBolshephobia - the fear of BulsheviksCyclophobia - the fear of bicyclesDemonophobia - the fear of demonsEosophobia - the fear of dawn or daylightFrancophobia - the fear of FranceGynophobia - the fear of womenHylophobia - the fear of forestsIophobia - the fear of poisonNeophobia - the fear of new thingsOstraconophobia - the fear of shellfishPediophobia - the fear of dollsRadiophobia - the fear of radiationSuriphobia - the fear of miceTeratophobia - the fear of monstersVerbophobia - the fear of wordsXanthophobia - the fear of yellow (color or word)Zemmiphobia - the fear of the great mole rat
This mental disorder can be linked to:AilurophobiaPhasmophobiaPTSD
Sources:
Information:
Metcalf, Tom and Gena. Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders, Phobias. Gale Cengage Learning. Greenhaven Press: Farmington Hills, Michigan. 2009. 15 September 2011. Print."Phobias". MedlinePlus. 15 September 2011. Web. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/phobias.html."Treatment of Phobias". 15 September 2011. Web. http://phobialist.com/treat.html.
"Types of Phobia". Phobia Fear Release. 19 September 2011. Web. http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/types-of-phobia.html.
"When and How does a Phobia start?" Phobia Fear Release. 15 September 2011. Web. http://www.phobia-fear-release.com/how-does-a-phobia-start.html.
Pictures:
"Luposlipaphobia". The Far Side Comics. 15 September 2011. Web. <http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KG-vEMi4dQs/TIOu_SMYeDI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Pv0w_RnOO3Y/s1600/luposlipaphobia.jpg>.